Town Square

Alamo getting a MAC, says Piepho

Original post made
on May 15, 2009

If the failure to incorporate Alamo into a city in March left residents with questions about the future, Supervisor Mary N. Piepho may have given them their answer. Yesterday she laid out a plan to create a Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) that would serve as a conduit between the county and Alamo.

I support a MAC for Alamo. We are now spinning adrift without a coherent path for communications with the county. There are a number of MACs in the county and they seem to have no problems dealing with the county and with their communities.

I recommend that everyone do a little homework on what a MAC is, how they operate, and what their authorities and powers are.

Posted by Halamo
a resident of another community
on May 15, 2009 at 9:59 pm

Dear Dolores,

A supervisor, quite disrespected by a majority in the Alamo region, is going to create a five member MAC that will be ignored by that same majority. Ah, we now have a promise that the Maytag repairmen of Alamo Council (but you can call me MAC) will be the loneliest people in town.

With the Alamo region's wealth and counsel, any MAC can be subverted and continued contact with all governments will be directly with the highest levels. It is all too humorous to think otherwise.

Now, let's think who would want to be part of such loneliness?

Hal, as Halamo
The Alamo Town Fool
@ODDs, a Saloon for Fools
West Willimantic CA 94507-1078

Halamo is not quite correct. The proposed MAC will actually have seven members: 5 regular real people and 2 clones. The cloning will be done at Stanford Blood Bank. Those wishing to create a clone for the Alamo MAC will need to donate some blood - about 6 quarts should be enough.

Posted by Halamo
a resident of another community
on May 16, 2009 at 6:51 am

Dear Dolores,

As a former bar code guru, often noted for my guru-vy'ness, I have knowledge of the Blood Bank bar code specifications and how it could be applied to the five very lonely people of the Maytag repairmen of Alamo Council (But you can call me MAC) and the alternates quite humorously recognized as clones by Ron. Either in reality or in majority perception, the MAC members will have a bar code in the middle of their forehead that quite openly says, "Oh, they are one of those!"

In addition to the Maytag repairmen hats and red rubber noses the MAC members will likely wear (or is it WHERE), a large bar code on the forehead with eye-readable text saying, "lost, do not find," seems descriptive and appropriate.

Posted by Halamo
a resident of another community
on May 16, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Alas Dolores,

Our humor turns to the reality of Tree Museum Boulevard. You remember, right, the proposal made by Joanie Mitchell in "Big Yellow Taxi?"

Sing along, "they took all the trees and put them in a tree museum, and they charged all the people a dollar and a half just to see them." So, there is Steve's answer!!

We take Danville Blvd from Rudgear to El Portel and make it a toll road, Tree Museum Boulevard. After we give the new "But you can call me MAC" members their Maytag repairmen hats and red rubber noses, Tree Museum Boulevard can be the first agenda item.

Posted by Community courtesy
a resident of another community
on May 17, 2009 at 9:05 am

Dear Dolores,

Alamo region neighborhoods' forum, meeting yesterday, determined neighborhoods will not participate in the definition, formation or operations of an Alamo Municipal Advisory Council nor will there be any recognition of its authority to speak on behalf of our region to the county supervisors and government.

All focus going forward by neighborhoods will be the humor of another county advisory committee to be ignored by a majority in our region. Thus, with considerable laughter, neighbors welcome the Maytag repairmen of Alamo Council (BUT you can call me MAC), the loneliest people in towne.

Posted by Community courtesy
a resident of another community
on May 18, 2009 at 8:54 am

Dear Dolores,

Just received:

We have now achieved discovery of communication by a core of AIM committee members with the District 3 supervisor starting in March that would create a MAC by appointing certain AIM committee members and fulfilling the autocracy planned in the AIM incorporation proposal and AIM e-exchanges. Clearly stated is the intent to disband any authority for the AIA or any other neighborhoods or community groups in dealing with the county and other governments in our region.

Posted by Halamo
a resident of another community
on May 18, 2009 at 5:18 pm

Dear Dolores,

In the excitement of MAC humor, I was asked, "Halamo, oh do please list the agenda for the Maytag repairmen of Alamo Council."

In my unabashed celebration of humor, and knowing that the MAC will be meaningless in the Alamo region, I listed submarine rides, seven high-rise towers, Stone Lake, and many more completely absurd issues that an ignored MAC could consider. It is always amazing to realize that Alamo's very-savvy professionals do not take any part of the county seriously and will not allow district 3 any role but compliance.

As the district 3 supervisor stepped forward thinking that the "winners" of the candidate elections on March 3 would be the appropriate members of a MAC, once again, the supervisor failed to understand that a 2/3rds majority of voters did not pick candidates and 1/3 of the voters didn't vote because it just didn't matter who was in-charge of a five member autocratic council.

In humor today, a majority of neighbors were creating a sister-community so the very lonely members of the supervisor's MAC would have someone to talk to. So far we have no takers!

We all heard about the "autocratic" town council during the recent Alamo election effort. This emanated from a number of highly respected persons in Alamo (actually there was only one).

The problem is that I seriously entertained running for Town of Alamo council at the time because I mis-read the word and thought it was "Aristocratic." Imagine my disappointment when I finally realized the truth.

Autocrats, at the breakfast table, and other places, should be shunned, but aristocrats can be safely relied on to do the right thing...

Posted by Community courtesy
a resident of another community
on May 19, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Dear Dolores,

With our mutual regret, the Danville Weekly publishers performed another political service to District 3. Commentary illustrating the failure of Mary N. Piepho's MAC proposal has been removed from your on-line front page.

I would imagine that bothers you.

As so many Diablo Vista, including Alamo, region neighbors have confirmed, Contra Costa Politics is a BITCH!

Posted by Community courtesy
a resident of another community
on May 20, 2009 at 6:54 pm

Dear Dolores,

After community of neighborhoods review, the proposed MAC is a failed concept. Certainly, District 3 and CCC-BOS can go through the motions of creating an already failed agency of county government. The result is meaningless for obvious reasons because our community of neighborhoods is not going to limit their communication to District 3 and their gatekeeper committees and councils.

Posted by informed resident
a resident of another community
on May 22, 2009 at 9:56 pm

How many posts are you going to make to yourself Hal? I thought you had made some promises a while back-or was that just a short term thing? I guess you feel it is ok for you to go back on your words? You sure have a high bar set for others (including the District 3 supervisor) but none for yourself? Sorry-- that was way to rhetorical.

In any matter this one was particularly amusing; "Clearly stated is the intent to disband any authority for the AIA or any other neighborhoods or community groups in dealing with the county and other governments in our region."

Hal, there is no basis, government code or otherwise that empowers the AIA with any Governmental authority. It does not exist! Is that crystal clear? They are a (membership) club-period, end of story.

You could post here 1,000,000,000 times and it still would not change the cold hard facts. You simply cannot create your own government or "authority". To do so would be treason and you have been fooling no one but yourself! So once again, thanks for posting over and over but the only thing you are doing is entertaining yourself with nonsense. You really should seek some other outlet.

Posted by Community courtesy
a resident of another community
on May 23, 2009 at 8:00 pm

Dear Dolores,

Many neighbors among our region's e-exchange are disturbed by commentary in this forum chain. They feel challenged to expose their privacy to the rude, meaningless rebuttal of pseudonyms that have no intention to deal with specific issues.

In a sobering note to neighbors I explained the only intent is to expose and defame.

Posted by informed resident
a resident of another community
on May 24, 2009 at 1:16 am

Hal,

My post was specifically "AIM"ed at you! It provided an opportunity for you to discontinue having to carry on a dialogue with just yourself. It was not meant to be rude but rather to the point.

You could have simply addressed it with your access to such a vast amount of research and resources. It was completely clear that it did deal with a specific issue (a legitimatcy question of the AIA as an official govermental agency). Meaningless? -come on Hal, you were just afraid of the outcome, we all know that!

Your need not make excuses for others or their challenges. I am simply responding to your comments, not "others". Isn't that what a town square forum is for? Or do you just deal with your own internal dialogue?

Lastly, I hate to turn the table on you but you have been doing nothing more than providing your share of "...intent to expose and defame" and "rude, meaningless rebuttal of pseudonyms that have no intention to deal with specific issues".

Just read any of your multiple posts regarding the County, the Supervisor (Mary Piepho) and anyone you disagree with. With the tables turned you now want to cry foul? Come on Hal, you are a big boy who has been dishing it out in heaping spoonfuls. Sometimes you have to take some bad tasting medicine to get better. Now open wide.

Posted by Hal Bailey
a resident of another community
on May 25, 2009 at 8:37 am

Dear Dolores,

Each time I post my comments or serve as firewall for neighbors' comments, I am addressing the commentary to you for your specific editorial and story development. In each commentary it is hoped that a question is raised so others can add perspective on the issues for your editorial consideration.

Neighbors, and their neighborhoods, after years of being ignored by governments and community groups in our region, have shown some anger and resentment in their commentary posted through my firewall. Even now, as a few "behind-closed-doors" politically develop a MAC to their special interests, neighbors and their neighborhoods are being ignored and angered by the continuing exclusion.

It is convenient for the very small proponent and opponent factions from the incorporation campaigns to create reality by believing that 94507 has about 2000 real voters and >8000 other voters are simply my pseudonyms. With that belief, such factions can ignore real commentary by real neighbors that represent the anger, distrust, and disregard such neighbors and their neighborhoods have for such self-indulgent factions.

In the view of TDW's readers, as repeatedly noted in TDW's FORUM, the purpose of the FORUM is the discussion of ISSUES and the attitudes that drive such issues. Any dialogue, as my resources, is from our neighbors throughout the region or the governments that are meant to serve us.

Posted by Informed Resident
a resident of another community
on May 29, 2009 at 10:44 pm

Hal,

A consideration for you to ponder.

Why don't you let others post for themselves? If they are so concerned about the plethora of issues that you raise then wouldn't they want to personally speak out? I am betting that they are all adults and capable of posting themselves. .....or are they just a terracotta army in someone's over active imagination?

Real discussion would be preferred, but let's use real people and real numbers this time. Not just you "claiming" to represent "thousands" because we all know that's just not reality.

Speak for yourself but only for yourself, it really is not that difficult.

Speaking for myself, I can assure you I am not a faction of either opponent or proponent of Alamo's incorporation AND as such do not view someone that posts under so many different pseudonyms as being the voice that represents "so many".

Posted by Hal Bailey
a resident of another community
on Jun 1, 2009 at 8:05 am

Dear Dolores,

AS a courtesy to our region's neighborhoods, I would like to thank all contributors to discussions of a Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) to be located in the 94507 (Alamo) segment of our region. After several exchanges, including the composite presentations of political factions in support of a MAC, your readers now have a clear picture of the politics and emotions of MAC consideration. As a MAC results, it will be a matter for neighbors and their counsel to determine any role for the MAC's five council members and two alternates within our region's political and planning considerations.

You voters who fell for the collective developers lies, half truths, scare tactics, (hummm looks like we have a replacement for Home Depot) and plain illegal activities,(like sign stealing for instance). Well I hope your happy now.

Lets see, many of us have no police protection on graveyard shift, we have the county stealing money from Zone 36, we have the Dictator Piepho shoving MAC, (her hand picked disciples), down our throats, (funny, she didn't speak up before the election, she say's she didn't want to influence the same, which of course is about the only true thing to come out of her mouth). We have the idiotic "no turn on red" traffic light, which someone might mention to the Dictator Piepho, doesn't work when your waiting to turn right and there is no other traffic to trip the sensors. It's sometimes amusing to watch 3 or 4 cars line up, just sitting there, waiting patiently, or maybe not so patiently, to turn. They eventually make an illegal turn on red, but the good news is that this only happens late at night when there is no other traffic and as we have discussed, There ARE NO POLICE, save the lonely CHP, during those hours, thanks to CCC and Dictator Piepho.

The county is rubbing their hands together planning new commercial development for our town (I wonder how much the new wider bridge will cost?), and, I'll bet their even planning to allow lot splits, all in the name of their much needed revenue (we won't even go into why that is). Guess who you have on your side, that's right folks, a hand picked MAC (otherwise known as Piepho's Mini-MAC). Here'ssssss what you could have wonnn! Oh well, I'm wasting my breath, most of you don't vote or vote on 30 second bites or fall victim to the scare tactics of the special interests.

You folk that voted against the town of Alamo and against local control because you didn't want the town to change, boy do you have a rude awaking coming. That light that you faintly saw at the end of the tunnel, nope, I'm sorry, it's on oncoming train and look carefully now, yes your right, it's being driven by Dictator Piepho, and it's damm the torpedoes, full speed ahead. She doesn't fear us, in the scheme of things, Alamo is just a pimple on a horse's butt. Alamo, you had a chance to get rid of her and you failed the test. I should say you get what you deserve, but I'm more benevolent then that. BTW, she is installing the same type MAC's in her community of Discovery Bay. She is not well liked there either.

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